The voting link for the 2020 ASUC Election is live! Click on the button above to go to the ballot on CalLink. You must log into CalLink using your CalNet ID and password in order to access the ballot. If you are having difficulty accessing the ballot on CalLink, you may vote provisionally by following the instructions at asuc.org/elections/provisional
The 2020 ASUC Election will continued as scheduled, with all events taking place online.
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Since the announcement of continued online instruction through the end of the semester in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elections Council and Elections Office have been making key adjustments to prepare for the upcoming ASUC Election and to ensure that the function, integrity, and accessibility of the Election are maintained.
Today I am announcing the measures that the Elections Council has put in place regarding voting procedures for the election between April 6 and April 8:
Additionally, we have compiled a document of common questions regarding the 2020 ASUC Election, which can be accessed at tinyurl.com/election2020-faq. The Elections Office will be updating this document periodically.
As always, we appreciate your patience as we work to ensure that the integrity of student representation on the UC Berkeley campus is upheld to the fullest extent possible. Please refer to the ASUC Elections Council Facebook page or Twitter (@asucelections) for further updates.
#GoBearsGoVote
Sincerely,
James Weichert, ASUC Elections Council Chair
Dear Berkeley students,
The 2020 ASUC Election is here! This election is your chance to choose our campus’ student leaders for the next year and to voice your opinions.
Voting will take place online from 12:00AM PST on April 6th through 11:59PM PST on April 8th. All currently-enrolled UC Berkeley students should vote through CalLink by following the directions at asuc.org/elections. If you’re unable to log into CalLink, you can still vote by filling out an online provisional ballot form also available on our website. To learn more about the propositions and candidates on this year’s ballot, you can read the 2020 ASUC Election Voter Information Guide.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses unique and unforeseen hardships on all Berkeley students, whether still on campus or living elsewhere. We, as members of the ASUC Elections Council, acknowledge that current situations are far less than ideal, and that the upcoming ASUC Election might not be at the forefront of many students’ thoughts.
However, we recognize that robust and representative student leadership and advocacy is vital to ensuring that all Berkeley students have a voice at the table, now and for years and generations to come. It is for this reason that we have continued the 2020 ASUC Election process in spite of ongoing events in order to preserve the integrity of our independent student government. Nevertheless, in keeping with the guidance of university, government, and public health officials, the Elections Council has implemented some key measures in order to ensure the safety of all those involved in the elections process. These measures include the closure of all planned on-campus in-person polling operations and the exclusive use of online polling. All students eligible to vote in the 2020 ASUC Election will be able to do so online at asuc.org/elections.
Students voting in this year’s ASUC elections will be automatically entered into a raffle for a variety of prizes including Beats by Dre headphones, Cal Student Store gift cards, and Cal and Under Armour apparel. All voters will also receive voting incentives in the form of discounts at ASUC Student Union vendors, which can be redeemed by the end of the fall 2020 semester.
Finally, the Tabulations Ceremony will occur at 6:00PM PST on Friday, April 10 live via the Elections Council YouTube channel.
If you notice any violations of ASUC elections regulations, please contact the Elections Prosecutor Ryan Ham at electionsprosecutor@asuc.org. Otherwise, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the election process, do not hesitate to email the ASUC Elections Council at elections@asuc.org.
As always, #GoBearsGoVote!
Sincerely,
James Weichert, ASUC Elections Council Chair
In light of ongoing concern over COVID-19 and public health, the Elections Council is taking steps to create contingency plans that preserve the function, integrity, and accessibility of elections-related events. At this point, the 2020 ASUC Election will proceed as scheduled. However, the Elections Council will be working to ensure that we accommodate these unforeseen circumstances.
First and foremost, there will be an online attendance option provided via Zoom video conferencing for the upcoming Mandatory Elections Meeting on March 17th at 7pm, which will proceed as scheduled. Provided that the ASUC Student Union is open on March 17th, the Mandatory Elections Meeting will be held in Eshleman Senate Chambers and live streamed using Zoom. All candidates, party signatories, and proposition proponents and opponents registered for the 2020 election must be in attendance either in person or online via Zoom. Candidates, party signatories, and proposition proponents/opponents should expect an email in the coming days providing details for how to access the Mandatory Elections Meeting livestream. Pursuant to ASUCBL 4207, the Elections Council will grant excused absences from the Mandatory Elections Meeting for scheduling conflicts that fall under the provisions listed in §2.5, provided that documentation is sent to electionschair@asuc.org forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the Mandatory Elections Meeting. Individuals who are excused from the Mandatory Elections Meeting on March 17th must attend a make-up meeting with members of the Elections Council on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020.
The filing period for the 2020 ASUC elections will proceed as scheduled and shall end at 5:00PM on Friday, March 13th, 2020. Nevertheless, the Elections Council on Monday approved Elections Council Operational Policy 005, which allows candidates and party signatories to designate an authorized agent to submit filing fees to the LEAD Center Business and Finance Window on their behalf. All filing forms must still be personally submitted by candidates/party signatories. The Point Of No Return Meeting, during which time the Elections Council shall approve the final form of the 2020 ballot, shall occur as scheduled on Friday, March 20th, 2020 at 12pm in Eshleman Senate Chambers. As with all Elections Council meetings in the coming weeks, a Zoom video conference or livestream link will be provided in order to allow individuals to attend remotely.
We appreciate your patience as we work to ensure that the integrity of student representation on the UC Berkeley campus is upheld to the fullest extent possible. Please refer to the ASUC Elections Council Facebook page for further updates.
Sincerely,
James Weichert, ASUC Elections Council Chair
The Judicial Council today certified the results of a countback tabulation conducted on February 28, 2020 by the Elections Council to fill the ASUC Senate seat vacated by former ASUC Senator Milton Zerman. The countback was conducted in accordance with the ASUC Constitution and ASUCBL 1206.
The countback tabulation resulted in the election of Emily Fregoso to the office of Senator of the Associated Students of the University of California.
Immediately following the tabulation, the Elections Council certified the results of the countback. The Judicial Council certified the results on Tuesday, March 3. Senator-elect Fregoso will be seated as an ASUC Senator Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 8:00pm in Eshleman Senate Chambers during the Senate’s regular meeting.
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Dear Registered Student Organizations:
Since ASUC elections are around the corner (voting will take place from 4/6 until 4/8), I would like to remind all RSOs and students about ASUC bylaws and restrictions on RSOs with respect to ASUC elections.
Specifically, pursuant to ASUCBL 4203 §5.1, all organizations receiving sponsorship or funding from the ASUC are “prohibited from promoting or discouraging a vote in favour of or against any candidate or party in any ASUC Election,” To reiterate, if you receive sponsorship or funding through ASUC’s Annual Budgeting and Spaces Allocation (ABSA), your organization may not endorse or take a stance (for or against) any candidate, party, or proposition for the ASUC elections.
Any candidate, party, or proposition proponent/opponent attempting to solicit or receive an endorsement from an ASUC-sponsored or ASUC-funded RSO shall face prosecution in front of the Judicial Council by the ASUC Elections Prosecutor. Any RSO attempting to hold or otherwise facilitate an endorsement shall face prosecution and shall risk the revocation of ASUC sponsorship and funding. Furthermore, no student organization funds may be used for any campaign purposes, including contributions to any candidate’s campaign, pursuant to ASUCBL 4204 §3. Students can donate personal/private funds to campaigns pursuant to ASUCBL 4204 §3, but official student organization funds (whether ASUC or miscellaneous funds) cannot be used in elections.
As always, it is the responsibility of all RSOs, candidates, parties, and proposition proponents/opponents to understand and adhere to all ASUC bylaws, especially those pertaining to ASUC elections. If you have any questions, feel free to email elections@asuc.org. Finally, please encourage members of your organization to vote during the ASUC elections from April 6th through April 8th! Voting will take place through CalLink and can be done either online or at an in-person polling station located in the MLK Student Union Building and in the ASUC Offices in 412 Eshleman Hall. More information about ASUC elections can be found at asuc.org/elections and on the ASUC Elections Facebook page.
#GoBearsGoVote
Sincerely,
James Weichert, ASUC Elections Council Chair
The Elections Council today conducted a countback tabulation to fill the ASUC Senate seat vacated by former ASUC Senator Jenny Jungmin Kim. The countback was conducted in accordance with the ASUC Constitution, ASUCBL 1206, and Elections Council Temporary Rule 19/20-001.
The countback tabulation resulted in the election of Pedro De Anda Plascencia to the office of Senator of the Associated Students of the University of California.
Immediately following the tabulation, the Elections Council certified the results of the countback. The Judicial Council certified the results shortly thereafter. Senator-elect De Anda Plascencia will be seated as an ASUC Senator tomorrow, February 12, 2020 at 8:00pm in Eshleman Senate Chambers during the Senate’s regular meeting.
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Each year the ASUC holds a regular election to choose its five Executive Officers and twenty Senators. All members of the Association—all undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley—can vote. Regular elections are held the second week following Spring Break in early April. Students vote using the Ranked Choice System which guarantees diverse and proportional elections results. Furthermore, students can vote on referendum propositions. Referendum propositions can be placed on the ballot by the ASUC Senate, Graduate Assembly, or by a petition of the student body. Lastly, special elections can occur to recall officials or in other limited circumstances.
Pursuant to ASUCBL 4106: “Party Names for Identification Purposes Only. Parties may be freely formed by any students. Party names do not imply any affiliation to or endorsement by an person, organization, living group, or academic department unless otherwise noted.”
This website is available year-round as a resources to voters, candidates, parties, and proposition proponents/opponents. Please note that the website is usually updated during the winter break for the following elections cycle. During the voting period, the link to vote will appear on this page.
For more info, read through this website, check out the comprehensive Elections Bylaws or contact the Elections Council (all available below).
All reports will be reviewed by the Elections Prosecutor. If you have any further questions, please email the Elections Prosecutor at electionsprosecutor@asuc.
Please note that the Elections Council as a whole does not vote on or discuss whether to charge suspects or not. This is at the discretion of the Elections Prosecutor.
Propositions
A referendum is a vote of the student body on a specific ballot question. The ballot question itself is called a proposition. Propositions can amend the ASUC governing documents, state an opinion of the student body, approve changes to student-initiated fees, and exercise other powers of the Association. Propositions are voted on during regular elections.
Propositions can be placed on the ballot by the ASUC Senate, Graduate Assembly, or by a petition signed by 10% of the student body. To appear in an election, propositions must be placed on the ballot by the end of the filing period. A Proposition Primary Proponent / Opponent Form (described below) must be submitted by the end of the filing period (for legislatively-referred propositions) and before any petition signatures are collected (for voter-initiated propositions). Please read the entirety of ASUC Bylaw Series 4300, linked below, before initiating a proposition.
Student Fee Referenda
Additionally, any propositions relating to student fees must also be approved by the campus Student Fee Referenda Committee (SFRC). Please note that the SFRC has very strict deadlines, and initial contact must be inited with SFRC by October 15 of the preceding year. SFRC will work with student fee referendum proponent through early spring semester to finalize the language of the student fee with the UC Office of the President. SFRC must approve the student fee before it is placed on the ballot. This means that proponents need the final SFRC-approved version of the student fee before the ASUC Senate or Graduate Assembly can pass a resolution placing the proposition on the ballot or before the proponents start collecting signatures to place it on the ballot via petition.
Recall
A recall election is a special type of referendum that can be used to remove any ASUC elected official from office. Recalls can be initiated at any time, by a petition signed by 25% of the number of people who voted in the previous election. Please read the entirety of ASUC Bylaw Series 4300, linked below, before initiating a recall.
Bylaws
To find out more about propositions, how to start a petition to place a question on the ballot, or how to initiate a recall check out ASUC Bylaw Series 4300: Direct Democracy.
Filing Form
Primary Proponents of a voter-initiated (petition) proposition or recall must file a Proposition Primary Proponent / Opponent Form (linked to in the Filing Forms tab) before collecting signatures. Proponents must use the online petition created by the Elections Council; other petition documents cannot be accepted. It can take approximately one to two weeks for the petition to be created by the Elections Council after the form is submitted, so please plan accordingly. The Primary Proponent is required to meet with the Elections Council for a drafting meeting before the petition is created. Additionally, the Primary Proponent must participated in a a public hearing held by the ASUC Senate on the proposition before the end of the filing period (the Senate does not vote to approve the petition or not, but any member of the Senate or student body can question the primary proponent at the hearing).
Primary Proponents of a legislatively-referred proposition must file a Proposition Primary Proponent / Opponent Form (linked to in the Filing Forms tab) after the Senate or Graduate Assembly votes to place the proposition on the ballot, but before the end of the filing period.
Click here to read the elections rules contained in series 4000 of the ASUC Bylaws. Candidates, parties, and proposition proponents/opponents are responsible for knowing the most up-to-date version of the Elections Bylaws at all times. The Elections Bylaws provide a very comprehensive guide to all policies, rules, procedures, and regulations related to the operation of the ASUC Elections and all involved actors.
Public Documents
Elections Council Public Documents can be found here.
Campaign Finance Worksheets can be found here.
The Audit Report 2018 can be found here.
Tabulator
The code of the Tabulator, which is used to count votes, is open to public access and can be viewed here.
The ASUC Elections are organized by the ASUC Elections Council. The Council is an independent body created by the ASUC Constitution, composed of eight voting members. The Chair, Assistant Chair, Prosecutor, and Auditor actively participate in the operation of the elections process. The Public Defender offers independent services to candidates. The Chief Legal Officer, Chief Personnel Officer, and Graduate Assembly Rules Officer generally advise the council and ensure oversight. Additionally, the nonvoting Judicial Council and LEAD Center representatives provide important resources to the Council and act as liaisons to the other branches of the ASUC.
All of Elections Council: elections@asuc.org
James Weichert, Elections Council Chair
Keebum (Kevin) Kim, Assistant Elections Council Chair
Ryan Ham, Elections Prosecutor
Jennifer Yang, Elections Auditor
Hannah Peters-Edwards, Public Defender
Jedidiah Tsang, Chief Legal Officer
Lily Ho, Chief Personnel Officer
Tessa Scott, GA Rules Officer
Megan Fox, LEAD Center Designee & Advisor*
*non-voting member
